Madison Heights-trained ballerina Sophie Miklosovic is only 13 years old — but she lives a life more like someone double her age.

Although she is still in middle school, Miklosovic moved out of her parents’ home last year and now lives with a host family in Chicago, where she trains at the Faubourg School of Ballet.

Earlier this year, she traveled to Milan, Italy, and Istanbul, Turkey as a ballet demonstrator.

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But, most notable in Miklosovic’s young life so far was winning the title of National Junior Female Outstanding Dancer out of approximately 5,000 girls competing across the United States. After competing in the New York City Dance Alliance’s state competition in Lansing earlier this year, she moved on to the finals in New York City in July. There, she went through eight days and nights of auditions, classes, rehearsals and solo performances judged by some of the elite of the city’s dance scene, such as representatives from American Ballet Theatre and Julliard.

And, beginning in October, Miklosovic is invited to represent New York City Dance Alliance as a performer and assistant on their 24-city national tour.

“I don’t think about competing or winning. I just love performing and telling a story while on stage. I lose myself in the music, and I try to make the audience feel something,” said Miklosovic. “(New York City Dance Alliance) was the best week of my dance life.”

Since she was 4 years old, Miklosovic was trained by dance instructor Valentina Barsukova, who taught in Madison Heights for the past 18 years and officially opens her own studio in Clawson next week.

Barsukova said, “I knew right away that this kid was very talented. … She came to dance class every Saturday. Normal kids wear leotards and tights. And here’s Sophie, wearing a tiara and a tutu. It was funny.”

Even during practice, Miklosovic treated every performance as if she was on-stage, dancing for a crowd. So, Barsukova wasn’t surprised when she heard her student won this national honor.

“I know she has a future in dance. She does well wherever she goes,” Barsukova said. “She works very hard. … For ballet, you have to have a good arch, good extension, good toes, and she has it all. Some kids have it all, but they’re lazy. Not Sophie.”

Even though Barsukova says she misses Miklosovic, she encouraged her to train in Chicago.

“That’s part of our job — to let them go,” she said, adding that Miklosovic visits her and takes classes whenever she is on break from school.

Miklosovic, who was also trained by Liz Schmidt of Spotlight Dance Works in Chesterfield, will enroll in online classes when she tours with the New York City Dance Alliance. The regional convention tour, which Miklosovic will help instruct, offers traveling weekend workshop classes to young, aspiring dancers and will come to Michigan in January.

Miklosovic’s role model is Misty Copeland, known as the first African American female soloist for the American Ballet Theatre, one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States.

Like Copeland, Miklosovic dreams of becoming a professional ballerina in a contemporary or classical dance company like American Ballet Theatre — and she is on her way to achieving this goal.

Her regional work has been awarded ballet scholarships and recognition from three national companies, Complexions, Alvin Alley and Hubbard Street Contemporary Ballet.

Miklosovic’s mother, Laurie Price, described her daughter as independent, motivated and mature for her age. Even after all the time she spends dancing, Price said Miklosovic also got all A’s on her report card in school last year.

“I don’t know how she does it,” said Price. “She walks into a new family and charms them, walks into a new studio and charms them. New teachers, new friends and charms them.”

One reason Price thinks her daughter has gone so far is because every correction an instructor gives her, she makes.

Miklosovic has competed for the last three years in the New York City Dance Alliance national competition and this is the first year she won first place. But for Price, it’s not about her daughter winning. Price said she just wants Miklosovic to do what she enjoys.

Price said, after her daughter performed in New York, “I didn’t care what the judges said because it’s all about her loving it. Just her being up on that stage and performing was a win.”

FYI

Valentina School of Ballet, 1030 N. Crooks Road, Suite I, in Clawson, will officially open on Monday. For more information, call 248-701-4273 or visit valentinaballet.com. For more information about New York City Dance Alliance, which awards more than $3.4 million dollars in college dance scholarships annually, visit nycdance.com.

Contact Monica Drake at 248-745-4687. Subscribe to her Tout video feed at www.tout.com/u/monica_adele.